Car-heating system.



L. T. GIBBS, DBGD.

A. GIBBS, ADMINISTBATBIX.

Patented May 14, 1912.

Lucius f (I'M/76 'lwmtoa ing the car as well as for coolin UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LUCIUS T. GIBBS, OF HEMPSTEAD, NEW YORK; ANGELICA GIBBS, OF FLUSHING, NEW YORK, ADMINISTRATRIX 0F SAID LUCIUS T. GIBBS, DECEASED, ASSIGNOR TO THE WESTINGHOUSE AIR BRAKE COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A

CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-HEATING SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 14, 1912.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, LUoIUs T. GIBBS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hempstead, in the county of Nassau and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Heating Systems, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the drawing accompanying and forming part of the same.

My invention relates to car-heating systems, and pertains more especially to cars propelled by internal combustion or explosive engines. ,lVith such motors it is oustomary to use a water-circulating system to cool the engine, and the chief object of my invention is to utilize such system for heatthe engine. This result is secured, broad y stated, by carrying the water pipes through the car, thee'n'gine being located outside, preferably underneath, with the intention that the heat abstracted from the engine by water will be radiated into the interior of the car, thus serving the double function of heating the car to an agreeable temperature and restoring the water to a sufficiently low temperature to cool the engine.

Another object of my invention is to pro vide means for keepin the engine and circulating system at a sa e temperature in cold weather during such time as the car is standing idle, as for example in the yard. As is well understood it is not only necessary to keep the water in the pipes from freezing, with consequent dama e to the system or at least certain delay wfien the car is again wanted for use, but it is also desirable that the explosion engine itself be at a moderate temperature when the car is to start. Otherwise, if the temperature of the en ine be very low, as for example at the reezing point or below, the engine must first heat itself u before it can operate efiiciently. When the car is liable to be called into use at anytime it is also desirable that its interior be kept at a comfortable temperature, to avoid discomfort to the passengers. These results I secure by combining with the system first described, an auxiliary heater of any suitable kind, as for example a stove through which the water pipe or pipes pass. When the car is parked a fire may be started in the auxiliary heater. This will keepup a circulation around the engine, maintaining both it and the interior of the car at any desired temperature. When the car is running this fire may be allowed to burn ut, though it may of course be maintained a an auxiliary source of heat if for any reason, as for instance unusually severe weather, the heat absorbed from the engine should not be sufficient to keep the car at the desired temperature.

It is also desirable that the tem erature of the car be readily controlled, an provision is therefore made for such control. This I may secure by re ulating the flow of water through the car, ut I prefer to secure the desired regulation by abstracting more or less heat from the water, as may be necessary, before it enters the car. a

For a more complete understandin of my invention reference may now be he to the annexed drawings, which show, somewhat diagrammatically, the preferred arrangement.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a passenger car body, part of the side wall being broken away to show the interior. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section ofthe water-cooling apparatus, and Fig. 3 is an end view of the same.

The passenger car shown in Fig. 1 may be of any approved type or construction. The prime mover for furnishing the motive power of the car is an exploslve or internal combustion engine, shown diagrammatically at 1. The combustion of the hydrocarbon in such an engine liberates a considerable amount of heat, .which must constantly be withdrawn from the engine by a suitable cooling system. The cooling medium most commonly used is water, circulated in passages about the engine. It is this otherwise waste heat that I desire to utilize to warm the interior of the car, and I propose to do so by leading through the car the pipes which convey the water to and from the engine, so that the heat absorbed from the engine will be made to perform some useful function instead of being wasted by radiation outside the car. In the annexed drawing, 2 indicates the pipe conveying the heated water from the engine. This pipe is in communication with a radiating pipe or pipes,

such as indicated at 3, extendingthrough apparatus for such purpose is indicated at 5 in Fig. 1, and is shown more in detail in Fig. 2. It consists of a liquid-tight cooling drum '6, which mayormay not be covered or incased with heat-insulating material, 7. Extending from end to end are longitudinal tubes 8, open at each end to the atmosphere. The interior of the drum is in communication with the pipe 2 insuch manner, as shown in Fig. 2, that the water flowing from the engine to the car will pass through the' drum. At the same time the motion of the car will cause a flow of cold air through the tubes 8,and as the latter are bathed in the hot water the heat of the same is rapidly absorbed, leaving the water relatively cool whenit enters the radiating pipe 3. Pivoted at one side of the drum, so as to swing in a vertical plane transverse to the car, is a shield or screen 9, which may be raised and lowered by any convenient means, as a chain 10 extending through an opening 11 in the car floor 12.- When it is desired that the car be heated to the. maximum degree the screen is raised to cover all the tubes in the drum 6. To lower the temperature of the car the screen is lowered, so as to expose as many of the tubes as may be .necessary and allow the cold air to pass through them.

- By adjusting the screen to the'proper position theactive radiating surface of the tubes 8 may be made as great or small as desired,"

and a corresponding amount of heat ex-' tracted from the water before it enters the car. In this way the temperature of the car can be easily and accurately regulated. The

adjustable screen closure plate on the drum or cooler is also eflective when the car is traveling in either direction to prevent the passage-of air throu h the tubes. In this case the air pockete in such tubes as are closed by the screen will usually be found to prevent the movement of the car from causing any considerable circulation of fresh' air in those tubes, and the radiation therefrom will therefore be slight. If, however, the

regulation thus secured is not suliicient, both ends of the drum may be provided with screens, but as one would be a mere duplisary to illustrate the second.

As already explained, it is desirable that provision be made whereby the car may be heated when it is standing idle and the engine not running, and also to keep the engine in condition to start at a moments notice. For such purpose the car may be provided with a heater 13 of any suitable type, hav ing water-heating coils 14 in position to be heated by a fire in the fire'pot 15. The heating coils are connected in the heating circuit, so that the water circulates through the former in its passage through the car. If the heat from the engine is not sufficient to keep the car at the desired temperature, as might be thecase in very cold weather; or when the car is standing in the yards;

to bring the water to the proper temperature as it flows through the coils. This will not only keep the interior of the car comfortably heated,-but also will maintain the with at least a fair degree of efficiency.

In warm weather. or at other times it may be desirable not to heat the car, and to take care of such circumstances I provide means whereby the cooling liquid can circulate entirely outside the car. This consists of ,a by -pass 16, connected to the pipe 4, and to the pipe 2 forward of the cooler 5. The pipe'2has a valve 17 in front of the connectionwith the by-pass and the-pipe 4: has a valve 18 in the rear of the connehtion, while the by-pass pipe itself is valved at 19 and 20 adjacent to the connections. When the water from t the engine is to circulate through the car the valves 17 and 18 are opened and the by-pass valves 19, 20 closed; but when conditions make it desirable the valves 17 and 18 are closed and valves 19 and 20 opened, whereu on the water leaving the engine through pipe 2 will flow rearwardly through the by-pass to pipe 4 instead of through the radiating pipe 3-, as will be readily understood. By partially the water will flow through the by-pass and part through the radiating pipe 3, so that any desired uantity of water may be sent through the ormer, with the emission of a proportionate amount of heat in the interior 'of the car. This method of regulating the heat of the car may be employed independently -of the regulation afforded by the cooler 5,-or in conjunction therewith, as desired.

that my'invention utilizes heat that would otherwise be wasted, and also provides for cation of the other it does not seem necesa small fire may be kept in the heater 13,

engine in condition to be started at any time opening all the valves 17, 18, 19, 20, part of It will be seen from the above description 1 regulating and for supplementing such heat at will, so as to take care of all contingencies that may arise. The system herein specitically shown is of course merely one embodiment of the invention, which may take a variety of forms without departure from its proper scope as defined in the following claims.

' -What I claim is:

1; In a car heating system, the combination of an internal combustion engine and--a water circuit to cool the same, said circuit including radiators or heaters located inside the car, and a cooler for the water located outside the car between the engine and said radiators or heaters, and means for varying at will the amount of radiating surface in the cooler which is exposed to the outside air.

2. In a car heating system, the combination of-an internal combustion engine and a water circuit arranged to cool the same, said circuit including radiators or heaters located inside the car, and a cooler for the Water, said cooler located outside the car between the engine and said radiators or heaters,and consisting of a hollow bodyhaving a duct extending therethrough for the passage of air, and means for controlling the flow of air through said duct.

In a car heating system, the combination of an internal combustion engine and a water circuit to cool the same, said circuit including radiators or heaters located inside the car, and a cooler for the water, said cooler located outside the car between the engine and said radiators or heaters and consisting of a hollow body having ducts extending therethrough for the passage of air, and means for controlling the flow of air through said ducts whereby the cooling surface may be varied.

4. In a car heating system, the combination of an internal combustion engine and a water circuit to cool the same, said circuit including radiators or heaters located inside the car, and a cooler for the water, said cooler-located outside the car between the engine and said radiators or heaters and consisting of a hollow body having a plurality of ducts extending tln-ough the same from end to end and open to the atmosphere, and means for controlling the flowof air through said ducts whereby the cooling surface may be varied,

5. In a car heating system, the combination of an internal combustion engine and a water circuit to cool the samc,said circuit including radiators or heaters located inside the car, and a cooler for the water, said cooler located outside the car between the engine and said radiators or heaters and consisting'of a hollow body having a plurality of air pipes extending through the same from end to end and open to the atmosphere, and a shield or plate arranged to cover an end of the cooler, said plate being movable to vary the number of tubes exposed to the atmosphere.

6. In a car'heating system, the combination of an internal combustion engine and a water circuit to cool the same, said circuit including radiators or heaters located inside the car and a cooler for the water,said cooler located outside the car between the engine and said radiators or heaters and comprising a hollow body having a plurality of air tubes extending through the same from end to end and open to the atmosphere, and a shield or plate pivotally mounted upon an end of the cooler and movable across the ends of the tubes to vary the number of the latter exposed to the atmosphere.

7. In a car heating system, the combination of an internal combustion engine and a water circuit to cool the same, said circuit including radiators or heaters, and a cooler for the water, said cooler located between the engine and said radiators or heaters, and means for varying at will the amount of effective radiating surface in the cooler.

8. In a car heating system, the combination of an internal combustion engine and a water circuit for cooling the same, said circuit including radiators or heaters located within the car body, and a cooler arranged between the engine and said radiators or heaters, a by-pass around the engine and cooler, and means for diverting the fiow of water from said radiators through the bypass or from said by-pass through the radiators.

, 9. The combination of an internal combustion engine and a water circuit arranged to cool the same, said circuit including radiators or heaters for warming an apartment, and a cooler for the water, and means for varying the effective cooling capacity of said cooler.

10. The combination of an internal combustion engine and a water circuit arranged to cool the same, said circuit including radiators or heaters for warming an apartment, and a cooler for the water, said cooler having a radiating surface exposed to an air current, and means for varying the effective cooling capacity of said cooler by varying the said radiating surface thereof.

11. The combination of an internal combustion engine and a water circuit arranged to cool the same, said circuit including radiators or heaters for warming an apartment, and a cooler for the water, said cooler having a radiating surface exposed to an air current, and an adjustable shield or screen for varying the effective cooling capacity of said cooler by varying the said radiating surface thereof.

12. The combination of an internal combustion engine, and a Water circuit arranged ing the Water to flow through said radiators to cool the same, said circuit including radior heaters or through said by-pass. ators or heaters for warming an apartment and a cooler for the Water, means for vary- LUCIUS GIBBb' 5 mg the efiect-iv'e cooling capacity of said Witnesses:

cooler, a by-pass for cutting' said-radiators WATSON, or heaters out of circuit, and means for caus- M. J. ANDRADA. 

